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Nanomedicine is the application of nanomaterials and nanotechnology to the development of novel pharmaceuticals and drug delivery mechanisms. The present study synthesized a functionalized nanocomposite (NC) containing graphene oxide (GO), chitosan (Ch), manganese (Mn), folic acid (FA), and brucine. The anticancer properties of the synthesized GO/Mn/Ch/FA-Brucine NCs were evaluated against liver cancer cells. GO/Mn/Ch/FA-Brucine NCs were characterized using several characterization techniques. The growth of HepG2 and Hep3B cells was analyzed using the methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay. The cell apoptosis was examined through dual staining. The levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers were measured using the corresponding assay kits. Various characterization assays revealed the formation of crystalline GO/Mn/Ch/FA-Brucine NCs with tetragonal and agglomerated morphologies, various stretching and bonding, and an average particle size of 136.20 nm. GO/Mn/Ch/FA-Brucine NCs have effectively inhibited the viabilities of HepG2 and Hep3B cells. The NCs increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and reduced antioxidants and inflammatory mediators, thereby promoting apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells. Our findings indicate that GO/Mn/Ch/FA-Brucine NCs can inhibit viability and promote apoptosis in liver cancer HepG2 cells.

Ibrahim Abdel Aziz Ibrahim,1 Abdullah R Alzahrani,1 Ibrahim M Alanazi,1 Naiyer Shahzad,1 Imran Shahid,1 Alaa Hisham Falemban,1 Mohd Fahami Nur Azlina,2 Palanisamy Arulselvan3 1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura university, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia; 3Department of Chemistry, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 602 105, IndiaCorrespondence: Ibrahim Abdel Aziz Ibrahim, Associated professor in Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Email iamustafa@uqu.edu.saBackground: Liver cancer is the sixth most prevalent form of cancer and the second major cause of cancer-associated mortalities worldwide. Cancer nanotechnology has the ability to fundamentally alter cancer treatment, diagnosis, and detection.Objective: In this study, we explained the development of graphene oxide/polyethylene glycol/folic acid/brucine nanocomposites (GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs) and evaluated their antimicrobial and anticancer effect on the liver cancer HepG2 cells.Methodology: The GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs were prepared using the co-precipitation technique and characterized using various techniques. The cytotoxicity of the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs was tested against both liver cancer HepG2 and non-malignant Vero cells using an MTT assay. The antimicrobial activity of the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs was tested against several pathogens using the well diffusion technique. The effects of GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs on endogenous ROS accumulation, apoptosis, and MMP levels were examined using corresponding fluorescent staining assays, respectively. The apoptotic protein expressions, such as Bax, Bcl-2, and caspases, were studied using the corresponding kits.Results: The findings of various characterization assays revealed the development of GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs with face-centered spherical morphology and an agglomerated appearance with an average size of 197.40 nm. The GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs treatment remarkably inhibited the growth of the tested pathogens. The findings of the MTT assay evidenced that the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs effectively reduced the HepG2 cell growth while not showing toxicity to the Vero cells. The findings of the fluorescent assay proved that the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs increased ROS generation, reduced MMP levels, and promoted apoptosis in the HepG2 cells. The levels of Bax, caspase-9, and − 3 were increased, and Bcl-2 was reduced in the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs-treated HepG2 cells.Conclusion: The results of this work demonstrate that GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs suppress viability and induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells, indicating their potential as an anticancer candidate. Keywords: graphene oxide, brucine, nanomedicine, apoptosis, caspases, photoluminescence

Bullo Saifullah,1,2 Palanisamy Arulselvan,3,4 Mohamed E El Zowalaty,3,5 Woan Sean Tan,3 Sharida Fakurazi,6 Thomas J Webster,7 Rabia Baby,1 Mohd Zobir Hussein1 1Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Department of Management Sciences and Technology, The Begum Nusrat Bhutto Women University Sukkur, Sukkur, Sindh, 65170, Pakistan; 3Laboratory for Vaccine and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Biosciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia; 4Muthayammal Centre for Advanced Research, Muthayammal College of Arts and Science, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, 637408, India; 5Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; 6Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 7Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USACorrespondence: Mohd Zobir HusseinMaterials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology, (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, MalaysiaTel +60 397698092Email mzobir@upm.edu.myIntroduction: Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections are associated with severe local inflammatory reactions, which may be life-threatening and lead to tuberculosis pathogenesis and associated complications. Inorganic nanolayers have been vastly exploited for biomedical applications (especially in drug delivery) because of their biocompatible and biodegradable nature with the ability to release a drug in a sustained manner. Herein, we report a new nanodelivery system of inorganic nanolayers based on magnesium layered hydroxides (MgLH) and a successfully intercalated anti-tuberculosis drug para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS).Methods: The designed anti-tuberculosis nanodelivery composite, MgLH-PAS, was prepared by a novel co-precipitation method using MgNO3 as well MgO as starting materials.Results: The designed nano-formulation, PAS-MgLH, showed good antimycobacterial and antimicrobial activities with significant synergistic anti-inflammatory effects on the suppression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The designed nano-formulation was also found to be biocompatible with human normal lung cells (MRC-5) and 3T3 fibroblast cells. Furthermore, the in vitro release of PAS from PAS-MgLH was found to be sustained in human body simulated phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solutions of pH 7.4 and pH 4.8.Discussion: The results of the present study are highly encouraging for further in vivo studies. This new nanodelivery system, MgLH, can be exploited in the delivery of other drugs and in numerous other biomedical applications as well.Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, magnesium layered hydroxides, biomaterial, sustained release, anti-tuberculosis, anti-inflammatory

Samer Hasan Hussein-Al-Ali,1,2 Mohd Zobir Hussein,3 Saifullah Bullo,3 Palanisamy Arulselvan4 1Faculty of Pharmacy, Isra University, Amman, 11622, Jordan; 2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Isra University, Amman, 11622, Jordan; 3Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia; 4Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutic, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malyasia, Serdange, Selangor, 43400 UPM, MalaysiaCorrespondence: Mohd Zobir HusseinMaterials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Malaysia Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM, Serdang, Selangor, 43400, MalaysiaTel +603 89466801Fax +603 89435380Email mzobir@upm.edu.mySamer Hasan Hussein-Al-AliDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Isra University, P.O. Box 22, Amman, 11622, JordanTel +962 4711710Fax +962 4711505Email samer.alali@iu.edu.joIntroduction: Traditional cancer therapies may have incomplete eradication of cancer or destroy the normal cells. Nanotechnology solves the demerit by a guide in surgical resection of tumors, targeted chemotherapies, selective to cancerous cells, etc. This new technology can reduce the risk to the patient and automatically increased the probability of survival. Toward this goal, novel iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) coupled with leukemia anti-cancer drug were prepared and assessed.Methods: The IONPs were prepared by the co-precipitation method using Fe+3/Fe+2ratio of 2:1. These IONPs were used as a carrier for chlorambucil (Chloramb), where the IONPs serve as the cores and chitosan (CS) as a polymeric shell to form Chloramb-CS-IONPs. The products were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) analyses, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA).Results: The as-prepared IONPs were found to be magnetite (Fe3O4) and were coated by the CS polymer/Chloramb drug for the formation of the Chloramb-CS-IONPs. The average size for CS-IONPs and Chloramb-CS-IONPs nanocomposite was found to be 15 nm, with a drug loading of 19% for the letter. The release of the drug from the nanocomposite was found to be of a controlled-release manner with around 89.9% of the drug was released within about 5000 min and governed by the pseudo-second order. The in vitro cytotoxicity studies of CS-IONPs and Chloramb-CS-IONPs nanocomposite were tested on the normal fibroblast cell lines (3T3) and leukemia cancer cell lines (WEHI). Chloramb in Chloramb-CS-IONPs nanocomposite was found to be more efficient compared to its free form.Conclusion: This work shows that Chloramb-CS-IONPs nanocomposite is a promising candidate for magnetically targeted drug delivery for leukemia anti-cancer agents.Keywords: chlorambucil, anticancer, leukemia cell lines, magnetic nanoparticles, sustained release

Rahman H, Rasedee A, How CW, et al. Int J Nanomedicine. 2015;10(1):1649-1666. The Editor and Publisher of International Journal of Nanomedicine wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised regarding the alleged manipulation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images in Figure 8. The authors responded to our queries and were able to provide the original TEM images. The authors explained that the images had intentionally been modified to clear away artefacts created during sample processing. While the journal accepted the original TEM images were available, they were considerably different to those in the published article, and this raised doubts over the validity of the reported results. The decision was made to retract the article and the authors do not agree with this ruling. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”. This retraction relates to this paper

Sumaiyah Megat Nabil Mohsin,1 Mohd Zobir Hussein,2 Siti Halimah Sarijo,3 Sharida Fakurazi,4,5 Palanisamy Arulselvan,6,7 Yun Hin Taufiq-Yap8 1Advanced Oleochemical Technology Division (AOTD), Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Material Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory (MSCL), Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 3Faculty of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia; 4Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 5Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 6Muthayammal Centre for Advanced Research, Muthayammal College of Arts and Science, Rasipuram, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India; 7Scigen Research and Innovation, Periyar Technology Business Incubator, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India; 8Catalysis Science and Technology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Introduction: The potential of layered double hydroxide (LDH) as a host of multiple ultraviolet-ray absorbers was investigated by simultaneous intercalation of benzophenone 4 (B4) and Eusolex® 232 (EUS) in Zn/Al LDH.Methods: The nanocomposites were prepared via coprecipitation method at various molar ratios of B4 and EUS.Results: At equal molar ratios, the obtained nanocomposite showed an intercalation selectivity that is preferential to EUS. However, the selectivity ratio of intercalated anions was shown to be capable of being altered by adjusting the molar ratio of intended guests during synthesis. Dual-guest nanocomposite synthesized with B4:EUS molar ratio 3:1 (ZEB [3:1]) showed an intercalation selectivity ratio of B4:EUS =53:47. Properties of ZEB (3:1) were monitored using powder X-ray diffractometer to show a basal spacing of 21.8 Å. Direct-injection mass spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra, and ultraviolet–visible spectra confirmed the dual intercalation of both anions into the interlayer regions of dual-guest nanocomposite. The cytotoxicity study of dual-guest nanocomposite ZEB (3:1) on human dermal fibroblast cells showed no significant toxicity until 25 µg/mL. Conclusion: Overall, the findings demonstrate successful customization of ultraviolet-ray absorbers composition in LDH host. Keywords: biocompatibility, cell viability, dermis, layered double hydroxide, nanocomposite

Mona Moniri,1,2 Amin Boroumand Moghaddam,1,2 Susan Azizi,1 Raha Abdul Rahim,3 Wan Zuhainis Saad4,5 Mohammad Navaderi6,7 Palanisamy Arulselvan8 Rosfarizan Mohamad1,4 1Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Young Researcher and Elite Club, Sabzevar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sabzevar, Iran; 3Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 4Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 5Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 6Young Research and Elite Club, Parand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Parand, Iran; 7Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran; 8Muthayammal Centre for Advanced Research, Muthayammal College of Arts and Science, Rasipuram, Tamilnadu, India Background: Molecular investigation of wound healing has allowed better understanding about interaction of genes and pathways involved in healing progression. Objectives: The aim of this study was to prepare magnetic/bacterial nanocellulose (Fe3O4/BNC) nanocomposite films as ecofriendly wound dressing in order to evaluate their physical, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial properties. The molecular study was carried out to evaluate expression of genes involved in healing of wounds after treatment with BNC/Fe3O4 films. Study design, materials, and methods: Magnetic nanoparticles were biosynthesized by using Aloe vera extract in new isolated bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) RM1. The nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, swelling property and metal ions release profile of the nanocomposites were investigated. The ability of nanocomposites to promote wound healing of human dermal fibroblast cells in vitro was examined. Bioinformatics databases were used to identify genes with important healing effect. Key genes which interfered with healing were studied by quantitative real time PCR. Results: Spherical magnetic nanoparticles (15–30 nm) were formed and immobilized within the structure of BNC. The BNC/Fe3O4 was nontoxic (IC50>500 μg/mL) with excellent wound healing efficiency after 48 hours. The nanocomposites showed good antibacterial activity ranging from 6±0.2 to 13.40±0.10 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The effective genes for the wound healing process were TGF-B1, MMP2, MMP9, Wnt4, CTNNB1, hsa-miR-29b, and hsa-miR-29c with time dependent manner. BNC/Fe3O4 has an effect on microRNA by reducing its expression and therefore causing an increase in the gene expression of other genes, which consequently resulted in wound healing. Conclusion: This eco-friendly nanocomposite with excellent healing properties can be used as an effective wound dressing for treatment of cutaneous wounds. Keywords: wound healing, antibacterial activity, bioinformatics study, scratch assay, bacterial nanocellulose, green method

Farahnaz Barahuie,1,2 Dena Dorniani,1,3,* Bullo Saifullah,1,* Sivapragasam Gothai,4 Mohd Zobir Hussein,1 Ashok Kumar Pandurangan,5 Palanisamy Arulselvan,4 Mohd Esa Norhaizan6 1Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran; 3Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; 4Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 5Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 6Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Chitosan (CS) iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were coated with phytic acid (PTA) to form phytic acid-chitosan-iron oxide nanocomposite (PTA-CS-MNP). The obtained nanocomposite and nanocarrier were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analyses. Fourier transform infrared spectra and thermal analysis of MNPs and PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite confirmed the binding of CS on the surface of MNPs and the loading of PTA in the PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite. The coating process enhanced the thermal stability of the anticancer nanocomposite obtained. X-ray diffraction results showed that the MNPs and PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite are pure magnetite. Drug loading was estimated using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and showing a 12.9% in the designed nanocomposite. Magnetization curves demonstrated that the synthesized MNPs and nanocomposite were superparamagnetic with saturation magnetizations of 53.25 emu/g and 42.15 emu/g, respectively. The release study showed that around 86% and 93% of PTA from PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite could be released within 127 and 56 hours by a phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.4 and 4.8, respectively, in a sustained manner and governed by pseudo-second order kinetic model. The cytotoxicity of the compounds on HT-29 colon cancer cells was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The HT-29 cell line was more sensitive against PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite than PTA alone. No cytotoxic effect was observed on normal cells (3T3 fibroblast cells). This result indicates that PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite can inhibit the proliferation of colon cancer cells without causing any harm to normal cell. Keywords: nanocomposite, drug delivery, chitosan, phytic acid, HT-29 cell line, controlled release

Palanivel Ganesan,1,2 Palanisamy Arulselvan,3 Dong-Kug Choi1,2 1Nanotechnology Research Center and Department of Applied Life Science, 2Department of Biotechnology, College of Biomedical and Health Science, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Korea; 3Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia Abstract: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major chronic disease that is prevalent worldwide, and it is characterized by an increase in blood glucose, disturbances in the metabolism, and alteration in insulin secretion. Nowadays, food-based therapy has become an important treatment mode for type 2 diabetes, and phytobioactive compounds have gained an increasing amount of attention to this end because they have an effect on multiple biological functions, including the sustained secretion of insulin and regeneration of pancreatic islets cells. However, the poor solubility and lower permeability of these phyto products results in a loss of bioactivity during processing and oral delivery, leading to a significant reduction in the bioavailability of phytobioactive compounds to treat T2DM. Recently, nanotechnological systems have been developed for use as various types of carrier systems to improve the delivery of bioactive compounds and thus obtain a greater bioavailability. Furthermore, carrier systems in most nanodelivery systems are highly biocompatible, with nonimmunologic behavior, a high degree of biodegradability, and greater mucoadhesive strength. Therefore, this review focuses on the various types of nanodelivery systems that can be used for phytobioactive compounds in treating T2DM with greater antidiabetic effects. There is also additional focus on improving the effects of various phytobioactive compounds through nanotechnological delivery to ensure a highly efficient treatment of type 2 diabetes. Keywords: type 2 diabetes, nanodelivery system, phytobioactive compounds, oral delivery

Bullo Saifullah,1 Mohamed Ezzat El Zowalaty,2,3 Palanisamy Arulselvan,3 Sharida Fakurazi,3,4 Thomas J Webster,5–7 Benjamin Mahler Geilich,5,6 Mohd Zobir Hussein1 1Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology, (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa; 3Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, 4Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 5Department of Chemical Engineering, 6Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 7Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abstract: The chemotherapy for tuberculosis (TB) is complicated by its long-term treatment, its frequent drug dosing, and the adverse effects of anti-TB drugs. In this study, we have developed two nanocomposites (A and B) by intercalating the anti-TB drug isoniazid (INH) into Zn/Al-layered double hydroxides. The average size of the nanocomposites was found to be ~164 nm. The efficacy of the Zn/Al-layered double hydroxides intercalated INH against Mycobacterium tuberculosis was increased by approximately three times more than free INH. The nanocomposites were also found to be active against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Compared to the free INH, the nanodelivery formulation was determined to be three times more biocompatible with human normal lung fibroblast MRC-5 cells and 3T3 fibroblast cells at a very high concentration of 50 µg/mL for up to 72 hours. The in vitro release of INH from the Zn/Al-layered double hydroxides was found to be sustained in human body-simulated buffer solutions of pH 4.8 and 7.4. This research is a step forward in making the TB chemotherapy patient friendly. Keywords: tuberculosis, Zn/Al-LDHs, drug delivery, biomaterial, antimicrobial, activity, sustained release formulation, nanomedicine

Abubakar Amali Muhammad,1 Palanisamy Arulselvan,1 Cheah Pike See,2 Farida Abas,3 Sharida Fakurazi1,2 1Laboratory of Vaccine and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, 2Unit of Anatomy, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 3Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia Abstract: Diabetic foot ulcer is a serious complication of diabetes, which affects a significant percentage (15%) of diabetics and up to 15%–24% of those affected may require amputation. Therefore, the economic burden of diabetic foot ulcers is enormous and is associated with high cost of treatment and prolongs hospitalization. The present study was conducted to evaluate antibacterial and in vivo wound healing activities of an aqueous fraction of Moringa oleifera on a diabetic condition. Antibacterial activity testing was carried out using agar well and tube dilution techniques. The in vivo study was conducted using six groups of animals that comprise of one normal and diabetic control group each, three treatment groups of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% w/w aqueous fraction, and a positive control group (1% w/w silver sulfadiazine). Rats were induced with diabetes using a combination of streptozotocin 65 and 150 mg/kg nicotinamide daily for 2 days, and excision wounds were created and treated with various doses (0.5%, 1%, and 2% w/w aqueous fraction) daily for 21 days. Biophysical, histological, and biochemical parameters were investigated. The results of the study revealed that aqueous fraction possessed antibacterial activity through inhibition of growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli organisms. The topical application of aqueous fraction revealed enhancement of wound healing under sustained hyperglycemic condition for the duration of the experiment. This enhancement was achieved through decreased wound size, improved wound contraction, and tissue regeneration, as well as downregulation of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2, and upregulation of an angiogenic marker vascular endothelial growth factor in wound tissue treated with various doses of aqueous fraction of M. oleifera. The findings suggest that aqueous fraction of M. oleifera containing Vicenin-2 active compound may accelerate wound healing in hyperglycemic condition. Keywords: aqueous fraction, Vicenin-2, wound healing, inflammatory mediators

Malik Adewoyin,1 Sumaiyah Megat Nabil Mohsin,2 Palanisamy Arulselvan,1 Mohd Zobir Hussein,2 Sharida Fakurazi1,3 1Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, 2Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology, 3Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pharmacology Unit, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia Background: Cinnamic acid (CA) is a phytochemical originally derived from Cinnamomum cassia, a plant with numerous pharmacological properties. The intercalation of CA with a nanocarrier, zinc layered hydroxide, produces cinnamate-zinc layered hydroxide (ZCA), which has been previously characterized. Intercalation is expected to improve the solubility and cell specificity of CA. The nanocarrier will also protect CA from degradation and sustain its release. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of intercalation on the anti-inflammatory capacity of CA.Methods: In this study, the anti-inflammatory activity of ZCA was investigated and compared with that of nonintercalated CA. Evaluations were based on the capacity of ZCA and CA to modulate the release of nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-1β, and IL-10 in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, the expression of proinflammatory enzymes, ie, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), were examined.Results: Although both ZCA and CA downregulated nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-1ß, and IL-6, ZCA clearly displayed better activity. Similarly, expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase were inhibited in samples treated with ZCA and CA. The two compounds effectively inactivated the transcription factor NF-κB, but the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, was significantly upregulated by ZCA only.Conclusion: The present findings suggest that ZCA possesses better anti-inflammatory potential than CA, while zinc layered hydroxide had little or no effect, and these results were comparable with the positive control. Keywords: cinnamic acid, zinc layered hydroxide, inflammation, RAW 264.7 cells

Heshu Sulaiman Rahman,1–3 Abdullah Rasedee,1,2 Chee Wun How,2 Nazariah Allaudin Zeenathul,1,2 Max Stanley Chartrand,4 Swee Keong Yeap,2 Ahmad Bustamam Abdul,2,5 Sheau Wei Tan,2 Hemn Hassan Othman,1,3 Zahra Ajdari,6 Farideh Namvar,7 Palanisamy Arulselvan,2 Sharida Fakurazi,2,5 Parvaneh Mehrbod,2 Nasibeh Daneshvar,2 Hasina Begum2 1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 2Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia; 3Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sulaimany, Sulaimany City, Northern Iraq; 4DigiCare Behavioral Research, Casa Grande, AZ, USA; 5Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia; 6Faculty of Science and Technology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia; 7Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia Abstract: Cancer nanotherapy is progressing rapidly with the introduction of many innovative drug delivery systems to replace conventional therapy. Although the antitumor activity of zerumbone (ZER) has been reported, there has been no information available on the effect of ZER-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) (ZER-NLC) on murine leukemia cells. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo effects of ZER-NLC on murine leukemia induced with WEHI-3B cells were investigated. The results from 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, Hoechst 33342, Annexin V, cell cycle, and caspase activity assays showed that the growth of leukemia cells in vitro was inhibited by ZER-NLC. In addition, outcomes of histopathology, transmission electron microscopy, and Tdt-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling analyses revealed that the number of leukemia cells in the spleen of BALB/c leukemia mice significantly decreased after 4 weeks of oral treatment with various doses of ZER-NLC. Western blotting and reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays confirmed the antileukemia effects of ZER-NLC. In conclusion, ZER-NLC was shown to induce a mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway in murine leukemia. Loading of ZER in NLC did not compromise the anticancer effect of the compound, suggesting ZER-NLC as a promising and effective delivery system for treatment of cancers. Keywords: zerumbone-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier, leukemia, WEHI-3B cells, BALB/c mice, apoptosis, mitochondrial pathway

Julia M Tan,1 Govindarajan Karthivashan,2 Palanisamy Arulselvan,2 Sharida Fakurazi,2,3 Mohd Zobir Hussein1 1Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Laboratory of Vaccine and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience (IBS), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 3Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Abstract: Among the array of nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes have shown great potential as drug carriers in the field of nanomedicine, owing to their attractive physicochemical structure, which facilitates functionalization of therapeutic molecules onto their external walls or being encapsulated inside the tubes. The aim of this preliminary study was to formulate betulinic acid (BA), a poorly water-soluble drug, in oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH) for enhanced delivery efficiency into cancer cells with reduced cytotoxicity. The synthesized MWCNT-BA nanocomposite was characterized using ultraviolet-visible, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy techniques. The loading of BA in MWCNT-COOH nanocarrier was estimated to be about 14.5%–14.8% (w/w), as determined by ultraviolet-visible and thermogravimetric analysis. Fourier transform infrared study shows that the peaks of the resulting MWCNT-BA nanocomposite correlate to the characteristic functional groups of BA and MWCNT-COOH. The powder X-ray diffraction results confirmed that the tubular structures of MWCNT-COOH were not affected by the drug loading mechanism of BA. The release profiles demonstrated that approximately 98% of BA could be released within 22 hours by phosphate-buffered saline solution at pH 7.4 compared with about 22% within 24 hours at pH 4.8. The biocompatibility studies revealed that MWCNT-BA at concentrations

Bullo Saifullah,1 Palanisamy Arulselvan,2 Mohamed Ezzat El Zowalaty,2,3 Sharida Fakurazi,2,4 Thomas J Webster,5,6 Benjamin M Geilich,5 Mohd Zobir Hussein1 1Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology, 2Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 3Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 5Department of Chemical Engineering and Program in Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 6Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abstract: The primary challenge in finding a treatment for tuberculosis (TB) is patient non-compliance to treatment due to long treatment duration, high dosing frequency, and adverse effects of anti-TB drugs. This study reports on the development of a nanodelivery system that intercalates the anti-TB drug isoniazid into Mg/Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Isoniazid was found to be released in a sustained manner from the novel nanodelivery system in humans in simulated phosphate buffer solutions at pH 4.8 and pH 7.4. The nanodelivery formulation was highly biocompatible compared to free isoniazid against human normal lung and 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. The formulation was active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria. Thus results show significant promise for the further study of these nanocomposites for the treatment of TB. Keywords: tuberculosis, isoniazid, Mg/Al LDH, nanodelivery system

Bullo Saifullah,1 Mohamed E El Zowalaty,2,3 Palanisamy Arulselvan,2 Sharida Fakurazi,2,4 Thomas J Webster,5,6 Benjamin M Geilich,5 Mohd Zobir Hussein1 1Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 3Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 5Department of Chemical Engineering and Program in Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 6Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abstract: The treatment of tuberculosis by chemotherapy is complicated due to multiple drug prescriptions, long treatment duration, and adverse side effects. We report here for the first time an in vitro therapeutic effect of nanocomposites based on para-aminosalicylic acid with zinc layered hydroxide (PAS-ZLH) and zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxides (PAS-Zn/Al LDH), against mycobacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria. The nanocomposites demonstrated good antimycobacterial activity and were found to be effective in killing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A biocompatibility study revealed good biocompatibility of the PAS-ZLH nanocomposites against normal human MRC-5 lung cells. The para-aminosalicylic acid loading was quantified with high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. In summary, the present preliminary in vitro studies are highly encouraging for further in vivo studies of PAS-ZLH and PAS-Zn/Al LDH nanocomposites to treat tuberculosis. Keywords: Zn/Al-layered double hydroxides, zinc layered hydroxides, tuberculosis, para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS), antimicrobial agents

The effects of different drying methods, including sun-, oven-, and freeze-drying on the changes in the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of ginger (Zingiber officinale var. Rubra) rhizome were studied. Sun-, oven-, and freeze-dried ginger showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in phenolic content by 1.79, 1.53, and 1.91-fold; flavonoid content increased by 6.06, 5.27, and 4.90-fold; FRAP increased by 3.95, 3.51, and 3.15-fold; ABTS•+ scavenging activity increased by 2.07, 1.72, and 1.61-fold; and DPPH• inhibition increased by 78%, 58%, and 56%, respectively. Dried ginger also exhibited better inhibitory effects on the lipopolysaccharides-induced nitric oxide production in murine macrophage RAW 264.7. The drying process demonstrated a positive effect on the bioactivities of ginger. The sun-dried ginger exhibited the most potent antioxidant properties with the best enhanced anti-inflammatory activity followed by the oven-dried ginger and lastly, the freeze-dried ginger.

Bullo Saifullah,1 Mohd Zobir Hussein,1 Samer Hasan Hussein-Al-Ali,2 Palanisamy Arulselvan,3 Sharida Fakurazi3,41Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, 2Laboratory of Molecular Biomedicine, 3Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, 4Department of Human Anatomy, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, MalaysiaAbstract: We report the intercalation and characterization of para-amino salicylic acid (PASA) into zinc/aluminum-layered double hydroxides (ZLDHs) by two methods, direct and indirect, to form nanocomposites: PASA nanocomposite prepared by a direct method (PASA-D) and PASA nanocomposite prepared by an indirect method (PASA-I). Powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the PASA drugs were accommodated within the ZLDH interlayers. The anions of the drug were accommodated as an alternate monolayer (along the long-axis orientation) between ZLDH interlayers. Drug loading was estimated to be 22.8% and 16.6% for PASA-D and PASA-I, respectively. The in vitro release properties of the drug were investigated in physiological simulated phosphate-buffered saline solution of pH 7.4 and 4.8. The release followed the pseudo-second-order model for both nanocomposites. Cell viability (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide [MTT] assays) was assessed against normal human lung fibroblast MRC-5 and 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells at 24, 48, and 72 hours. The results showed that the nanocomposite formulations did not possess any cytotoxicity, at least up to 72 hours.Keywords: drug-delivery system, slow-release nanocarrier, tuberculosis, biocompatible nanocomposites

Farahnaz Barahuie,1 Mohd Zobir Hussein,1 Samer Hasan Hussein-Al-Ali,2 Palanisamy Arulselvan,3 Sharida Fakurazi,3,4 Zulkarnain Zainal11Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA), 2Laboratory of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioscience, 3Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, 4Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, MalaysiaAbstract: In the study reported here, magnesium/aluminum (Mg/Al)-layered double hydroxide (LDH) was intercalated with an anticancer drug, protocatechuic acid, using ion-exchange and direct coprecipitation methods, with the resultant products labeled according to the method used to produce them: “PANE” (ie, protocatechuic acid-Mg/Al nanocomposite synthesized using the ion-exchange method) and “PAND” (ie, protocatechuic acid-Mg/Al nanocomposite synthesized using the direct method), respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the intercalation of protocatechuic acid into the inter-galleries of Mg/Al-LDH. The protocatechuic acid between the interlayers of PANE and PAND was found to be a monolayer, with an angle from the z-axis of 8° for PANE and 15° for PAND. Thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analysis results revealed that the thermal stability of protocatechuic acid was markedly enhanced upon intercalation. The loading of protocatechuic acid in PANE and PAND was estimated to be about 24.5% and 27.5% (w/w), respectively. The in vitro release study of protocatechuic acid from PANE and PAND in phosphate-buffered saline at pH 7.4, 5.3, and 4.8 revealed that the nanocomposites had a sustained release property. After 72 hours incubation of PANE and PAND with MCF-7 human breast cancer and HeLa human cervical cancer cell lines, it was found that the nanocomposites had suppressed the growth of these cancer cells, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 35.6 µg/mL for PANE and 36.0 µg/mL for PAND for MCF-7 cells, and 19.8 µg/mL for PANE and 30.3 µg/mL for PAND for HeLa cells. No half maximal inhibitory concentration for either nanocomposite was found for 3T3 cells.Keywords: Mg/Al-LDH, direct coprecipitation method, ion-exchange method, MCF-7, HeLa, 3T3

Aminu Umar Kura,1 Samer Hasan Hussein Al Ali,2 Mohd Zobir Hussein,3 Sharida Fakurazi,1,4 Palanisamy Arulselvan11Laboratory of Vaccine and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, 2Laboratory of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioscience, 3Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology, 4Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Pharmacology Unit, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, MalaysiaAbstract: A new layered organic–inorganic nanocomposite material with an anti-parkinsonian active compound, L-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) alanine (levodopa), intercalated into the inorganic interlayers of a Zn/Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) was synthesized using a direct coprecipitation method. The resulting nanocomposite was composed of the organic moiety, levodopa, sandwiched between Zn/Al-LDH inorganic interlayers. The basal spacing of the resulting nanocomposite was 10.9 Å. The estimated loading of levodopa in the nanocomposite was approximately 16% (w/w). A Fourier transform infrared study showed that the absorption bands of the nanocomposite were characteristic of both levodopa and Zn/Al-LDH, which further confirmed intercalation, and that the intercalated organic moiety in the nanocomposite was more thermally stable than free levodopa. The resulting nanocomposite showed sustained-release properties, so can be used in a controlled-release formulation. Cytotoxicity analysis using an MTT assay also showed increased cell viability of 3T3 cells exposed to the newly synthesized nanocomposite compared with those exposed to pure levodopa after 72 hours of exposure.Keywords: levodopa, layered double hydroxides, coprecipitation, sustained release

Abstract Background Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are associated with immunogenic cell death and have the ability to enhance maturation and antigen presentation of dendritic cells (DCs). Specific microtubule-depolymerizing agents (MDAs) such as colchicine have been shown to confer anti-cancer activity and also trigger activation of DCs. Methods In this study, we evaluated the ability of three MDAs (colchicine and two 2-phenyl-4-quinolone analogues) to induce immunogenic cell death in test tumor cells, activate DCs, and augment T-cell proliferation activity. These MDAs were further evaluated for use as an adjuvant in a tumor cell lysate-pulsed DC vaccine. Results The three test phytochemicals considerably increased the expression of DAMPs including HSP70, HSP90 and HMGB1, but had no effect on expression of calreticulin (CRT). DC vaccines pulsed with MDA-treated tumor cell lysates had a significant effect on tumor growth, showed cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity against tumors, and increased the survival rate of test mice. In vivo antibody depletion experiments suggested that CD8+ and NK cells, but not CD4+ cells, were the main effector cells responsible for the observed anti-tumor activity. In addition, culture of DCs with GM-CSF and IL-4 during the pulsing and stimulation period significantly increased the production of IL-12 and decreased production of IL-10. MDAs also induced phenotypic maturation of DCs and augmented CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell proliferation when co-cultured with DCs. Conclusions Specific MDAs including the clinical drug, colchicine, can induce immunogenic cell death in tumor cells, and DCs pulsed with MDA-treated tumor cell lysates (TCLs) can generate potent anti-tumor immunity in mice. This approach may warrant future clinical evaluation as a cancer vaccine.